


It hurts because it matters

by weareallstars



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-14 05:17:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10529703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weareallstars/pseuds/weareallstars
Summary: Christen was given two choices, either go to juvey or attend Stevens School for Troubled Teens. Before she knows it, Christen is saying goodbye to her parents and flying to California for god knows how long. She does not know anyone and is scared out of her mind. She doesn't belong at this school, this school full of criminals. There a gangs and groups, how will Christen fit in? Or will she just be an outcast, left in the dust. And just to make it more interesting, Christen finds out she is rooming with three other girls. Will they shun her? or let her in? All these question run through Christen mind, but one thought remains constant, "I don't belong here."





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> HI! This might be bad, it could suck, so just an FYI. But I hope you enjoy it anyway and please leave feedback! This is my first work so I am always open for suggestions!

'I do not belong here' is all Christen can think as she walks through the halls of her new school. The corridors are too skinny, the ceiling is too low, it feels like the world is closing in on her. Girls walk past her, giving her nasty looks and looking her up and down, almost as if they were assessing a target. 

"All the dorm rooms are down this hall." The voice brings Christen back to reality. She glances up at the man leading her. He is tall with a failed attempt at a beard. He is absolutely jacked and his biceps are bigger than everyone's Christen has ever seen. He has his sunglasses tucked into the collar of his shirt, swinging back and forth as he walks. Christen takes her eyes off him to look around her. The hallway is much more modern. The tan wallpaper /almost/ gives it a warm feeling. There are pictures hanging in a line, each engraved with a year at the bottom. In every picture, there is no one smiling. Just frowns and straight faces. Christen's instructor stops, but she is too busy gazing around to realize, and she bumps right into his back. He whips around, face filled with rage. 

"Excuse me!" He bends down to get in Christen's face. His breath smells like smoke and his teeth are almost yellow. 

"I'm-I'm sor-" 

"Pay attention, daydreaming is not allowed here." He cuts Christen off before she can finish. He spins back around and if face to face with someone else. This lady is as tall as he is, and she looks just as intimidating. Except she is must prettier. 

"Lay off the new kid Jeremy, it's her first day." The words she says are kind, but her eyes so no affection, they just stare into Jeremy with deep hatred. 

"Come on Hope, you go to easy on the girls." 

"We're not supposed to break them Jer, we're supposed to teach them."

"The strong ones don't break" 

"That's enough Jeremy, I'll show the new kid do her dorm, you can leave" And with that Hope reaches down and grabs Christen by the shoulder and leads her in the direction she was recently going in. They do not have to walk far before Hope stops and turns to face Christen. This time, she was paying very close attention and stopped right as Hope did. Christen looks up to meet Hope’s eyes and finds Hope already looking down at her. Hope’s eyes narrow slightly, looking Christen up and down before she speaks. 

“You do not belong here, I know that, I’m not stupid. But I also know that you're here and you can’t leave until the next evaluation day, which is six months away. You have to survive here for six months and I will be your advisor. You are staying in a group dorm with three other girls. Don’t worry you get your own bed. Your schedule will be in your dorm and you are to attend all your classes and never be late. Your workjob is dining hall cleanup on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Got that?” 

Hope stops for a moment giving Christen time to process the information. She knows the rules of this school. It was a boarding disciplinary school that was offered to kids instead of going to juvie. At the end of every year, the send some judge to evaluate your behavior with your advisor and your teachers. If the judge liked what they hear, you are free to leave. If not, you stay another year. Christen suddenly remembers Hope asked her a question and nods as an answer. With that Hope continues, 

“We don’t have classes on Saturdays and Sundays. You will have study hall from 8:45 to 9:45 on every school night. During study hall, there is absolutely no talking, just work. It is a good time to get all your homework done. There are dorm inspections every Monday morning, if the dorm is not clean you will get detention.” 

Hope stops again and puts her hand on Christen’s shoulder. The contact makes Christen jump and little, but she does not flinch away. Hope looks directly into Christen’s eyes. Christen almost thinks she can see pity in Hope’s eyes. 

“You can get through this,” Hope says with total seriousness. It kind of takes Christen aback. Here was this 5’10’’ badass alpha female who’s biceps could snap Christen, giving her kind, sincere advice. 

“Thank you.” is all Christen can muster out. With that Hope turns and walks back down the hallway, leaving Christen by herself. Christen finally looks around and realizes that Hope left her in front of a door. In the center, it is marked ‘Dormitory 203’. Christen, praying to god that this is her dorm, takes a deep breath, smooths out her shirt, and opens the door. Christen slowly walks into the room. There is one long couch facing the far wall, which has a TV mounted on it. Below the tv, there is a small table with some movie on it. There is a circular coffee table in between the tv and the couch. Someone must not have finished their coffee this morning because as Christen looks at the mug left on the table, it is half full. There are two doors on the wall to the left, and two other doors on the right. Christen goes to the closest one, takes a deep breath, and knocks. Almost instantly, a freckled blonde opens the door wide open. 

“Tobs- oh sorry, you’re not Tobin.” 

Christen looks down at her feet quickly, feeling totally out of place. She twists the ring on her left middle finger, a habit she does when she is nervous. 

“No, my name is Christen Press, I was told this was my dorm.” 

The trickled girl’s eyes instantly light up, suddenly realizing who Christen was and why she was here. 

“Yes! That’s right! You're our new roommate, my name is Kelley O'Hara, everyone calls me KO tho.” 

“Cool, do you know which room is mine?”

“Yup, it is the dorm right next to mine.” Kelley steps out of her room and past Christen. She talks a few steps to her left and slowly opens the next door, peeking in before she finally opens it all the way. Christen gives her a questioning look, but Kelley just shrugs. Christen’s room isn’t big, but it’s not too small either. Her bed is in the far left corner, below the window. A desk is pushed up next to the bed, acting like a bedside table and a desk. On the right wall is doors to her closet, which seems to be a reasonable size. Christen notices that her bag has been placed on her bed for her. Obviously, the man that took it, said he was searching it for weapons, must have dropped it off. Christen also notices that on her desk is a sheet of paper. As Christen gets a better look at it, she realizes that it is her schedule. 

“So I’ll let you unpack and stuff. Dinner is in half an hour so we can go down together. Tobin and Alex are in class right now, but I’ll introduce you to them at dinner.” 

“Okay thanks” 

And with that Kelley shuts the door and heads back to her own room. Christen assumes that Tobin and Alex must be her other two roommates. She likes Kelley, she seemed nice and bubbly, almost too bubbly to be at a place like this, but then again, Christen was stuck here. She unzips her duffle and starts to rummage through her clothes. This school has a uniform, all girls must wear shirts with a collared shirt, all boys must wear shorts with a collared shirt. Christen slides open the closet door and sees two shirts hanging, one navy and one white. She also sees two skirts folded on the floor, one navy and one white as well. You had to wear the uniform to all your classes and school activities, but during free time and around the dorm you could wear whatever. Christen was not allowed to pack much. Just some jeans, sweatpants, and sweatshirts. As well as pj's, t-shirts, and some running shorts. She was only allowed three pairs of shoes, so she chose her sneakers, white converse, and flip-flops. ‘Wait’ Christen thinks, ‘What about the shoes on my feet right now?’ Christen looks down at the burks she has on. First day and she already found a loophole. ‘This is going to be interesting’ Christen thinks as she sighs. 

\----

Christen starts hanging up all her clothes. Putting some things in the drawers in her desk. Before she knows it, there is a knock on the door and Kelley peaks in. 

“Ready to go?”

“Yup.” 

Christen follows Kelley out of the dorm and into the hallway. Kelley leads them around some corners, down the stairs, and through the doors leading outside. 

“The dining hall is in the different building?”

“Yup, the campus is pretty big, we have four buildings total. One girl's dorm, one boy's dorm, one dining hall, and one school building. We have classes with the guys but that’s about it. We even have to sit on opposite side in the dining hall. You know, I could draw you a map when we get back, I am not a good artist but it could be helpful.” 

“That would be nice, thank you.” Christen smiles. ‘Boy, Kelley can talk’ she thinks to herself. But Christen is kind of glad that Kelley talks so much, it avoids any awkward silences and allows Christen some time to think. The building the Kelley is leading her to is kind of big. Not as big as the dorm, but pretty big. Christen sees other people walking out of what Christen assumes is the school building, and into the dining hall as well. Christen begins to panic a little, thinking about all the people that are going to be inside of that building. Christen did a little research before she came and knows that around 150 boys and 100 girls come here. Christen can’t imagine all the new faces she is going to have to meet and face. ‘They are criminals, they’re scary’ Christen says to herself, ‘but then again, so are you, and so is Kelley, she is nice tho, I hope-“ Christen internal dialogue gets interrupted. 

“Hey Chris, earth to Christen,” 

“Sorry Kels, I sort of spaced,” 

“That’s okay. I was just talking about the outdoor activities they have here” 

“Mm okay”

“And I like our nicknames by the way.” 

Christen gives Kelley a confused look so Kelley explains. 

“Ya know, Chis and Kels, we could fight crime, or cause it cuz we both ended up here.” 

Christen laughs at that. Kelley and she continue to joke as they make their way to the dining hall. As soon as Christen opens the doors, she is instantly hit with the noise. Lots and lots of people are all around her, talking, catching up with their friends, and Christen notices that some are doing neither, just sitting in the back, watching everyone move by them. There are five lines for food, all serving the same thing. Tonight, there is spaghetti and meatballs.

“Yes, I love the pasta here,” Kelley says as she moves to the shortest line. Christen follow quickly behind, not wanting to lose Kelley. Once they are served, Kelley heads to the last row of tables on the right and plops down are a table with some people. She taps the seat next to her, indicating that she wanted Christen to sit there. Christen quickly sits down. 

“Everyone, this is Christen, she is my new roommate,” Kelley says to the table. Everyone’s eyes are on her now. Christen just wants to shrink away, jump up and run, anything to not have all these eyes on her. “Hi” Christen manages to squeak out. 

“Christen this is Emily Sonnet, Morgan Brian, Lauren Cheney, Amy Rodriguez, Ali Krieger, and Julie Johnson.” Kelley points to each person as she goes around the table. They all look around the same age as Christen and they all look nice, all are smiling at her. This makes Christen feel a little bit better. 

“Everyone calls me JJ tho,” the blonde haired girl next to her says and she starts to eat again. Everyone else starts up with their meal again as well. Christen talks with everyone at the table at least once, but she mainly talks to Julie. She seems like a genuinely nice person, then again so did everyone at the table. ‘I wonder how they all got here’ Christen says to herself as she eats some more pasta. Just as Christen starts to get comfortable, she glances up and sees four other girls walking towards the table. Christen does not like to judge quickly, but they look like mean girls, the kind of girls Christen expected to find her. As they get closer, a pair of brown eyes meets her own. For some reason, Christen gets a tingly feeling as soon as their eyes lock. They all stop once they get to our table. A girl with brown hair and green eyes pipes up, 

“KO come on” She nods her head in the direction of an empty table a few tables down. “Alright guys that my cue, see ya later,” Kelley says as she starts to gather up her stuff. There is a chorus of ‘bye’ from the table. As Kelley gathers her things, one of the tall blond hair girls bends down and whispers something inaudible in Ali’s ear. Ali just smiles and shakes her head a little and the blonde stands back up. The brunette that called Kelley, too impatient to continue to wait, starts to walk in the direction of the empty table. The tan girl that Christen made eye contact with earlier says ‘hey’ to Lauren and Amy before she also heads to the table. 

“Christen, come on.” Christen looks at Kelley questionably. Kelley notices Christen confusion and hesitation, so she grabs her arm and pulls her to her feet. 

“I said come on, I have more people to introduce you to.” Christen quickly picks up her stuff, too scared and confused to argue. There is a chorus of ‘bye Christen’s’ as she walks away from the table. As Christen follows Kelley, she can feel the new girls’ eyes on her. Christen looks down at her feet, not wanting to make eye contact. Thankfully there are two chairs open that are next to each other, so Christen can sit next to Kelley. Once they are sitting, Christen finally dares to look up. Everyone is still staring at her. 

“Who are you?” The brunette that addressed Kelley earlier asks Christen the question. Christen can’t seem to find the right words, but Kelley saves her. 

“Alex, be nice, this is our new roommate.” 

‘Oh great’ Christen thinks, ‘I have to live with her’ 

“Guys, this is Christen, Christen this is Ashlyn Harris, Megan Klingenberg, Tobin Heath, and the lovely lady sitting next to you is Alex Morgan.” 

“Where ya from?” the blonde, who Christen now knows is Ashlyn, pipes up. 

“California” 

“You surf?” Ashlyn asks again, a little more interested in the answer this time. 

“Sometimes” 

That answer seems to please Ashlyn as she quietly goes “Hmm” and starts eating her meal. 

“Does Christen have a last name?” Alex is the one asking the question this time. 

“Press, my name is Christen Press.” 

“Christen Press?” Tobin chimes in. Christen just nods, praying to god that she can’t guess who she is. 

“I know that name,” the tan girl continues, with that Christen looks up and locks eyes with her, hoping she will get her silent plea to not say what she knows. Tobin seems to get the message because her eyes narrow slightly, processing Christen more closely. “Must just be a common name,” Tobin says at last. And with that, the meal continues. Christen gets to know the girls as the talk and eat. Ashlyn is pretty chill and she is dating Ali, Megan is really defensive about her height and her and Kelley bounce jokes off each other throughout the meal, and Alex, well Alex is kind of a bitch. She kept giving Christen cold looks and interrupting Christen when she spoke. Tobin didn’t talk much, but when she did, everyone listened. She seemed very reserved, and mysterious, only making Christen wanting to get to know her more. After the girls finish their meal, they all get up and head back to the dorm. As they walk back, Christen falls towards the back of the group. She notices that Tobin hangs back a little too, trying to be next to her. Christen knows what she wants to ask about. 

“So pretty Pressy, how does Stanford’s rising soccer star end up in a place like this?” 

“How do you know that?”

“I read the school paper, I went to Stanford before I came here.” 

Christen registers this for a moment, debating if this was true or not. She decides to trust the tan girl, wanting to assume the best. Christen has multiple questions rush to her head, but before she can choose, she blurts one out. 

“Why are you here then?” 

This seems to make Tobin uncomfortable and she crosses her arms. Tobin takes careful consideration, choosing her words carefully before she answers. 

“Why are you?”

Christen wants to pry and ask more question about it, but she doesn’t. Instead, she asks a different kind of question. 

“Why does Alex not like me?” As soon as Christen says it, she realizes how childish she sounds. But Tobin doesn’t seem to care. She just laughs a little and says, “She will warm up to you pretty Pressy, just give it a little.” The girls walk in a comfortable silence the rest of the way. It turns out that Megan and Ashlyn are roommates and live on the same floor as the other four girls, just a few doors down. The two say their good nights as they go into their room, leaving the four roommates by themselves. Alex instantly goes into her and shuts the door, not saying good night to anyone. 

“Good night to you too Lex,” Kelley says as she opens the door to her room. “Good night guys,” she says with a little more serious tone. 

“Night KO”

“Good night Kels” 

When Kelley shuts her door, she leaves Tobin and Christen alone in the common room. 

“Christen?”

"Yes, Tobin?" 

"People here don't tell others how they ended up here. It's like a code, no one asks, no one answers." 

"Oh, I'm sorry I asked about yours, I didn't know" 

Tobin gives her a gentle smile, "I know, that's why I'm telling you. I have only told Alex, KO, Lauren, and Amy. And it took me a year to open up with them about it." 

Christen nods her head. 'Tobin has been here for over a year? So has everyone else? Is this place a trap?' Questions fly through her head. 

"Thanks Tobin, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Good night."

"Good night pretty Pressy"


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a walk through of Christen's first day at school...who's in her class, who her teachers are, all that stuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this chapter in really long, I'm sorry. The next chapters won't be as long. I think I'm going to keep writing this story :) I will reveal how everyone got there in later chapters. If you guys have any good ideas for why, just comment them!

The blaring sound of Christen's alarm rings through her ears. She rolls over and glances at the clock. It reads 6:00. Christen takes a deep breath and pulls the covers off her. She moves across her room and changes into a tank top and some shorts. She grabs her yoga mat, that was stored on the floor of her closet and walks out. She finds the common room empty, which doesn't surprise her. Christen rolls out her mat and starts doing her stretches. She made a promise to herself that she would not lose her good habits when she got here. Christen goes through the motions, really focusing on her breathing. She hears a door swing open, when she looks up she finds Kelley staring at her. 

"Damn, you’re up early Chris" 

"So are you" 

"Yes but I am only up because I have to pee, you are actually moving around." 

Christen laughs at that. She decided to call it a day and roll up her mat. Christen goes back into her room and closes the door. A few minutes later, Christen hears a paper being slid under her door and she turns to check. She is right, Kelley had slid her map under the door for Christen to look over. She is actually quite surprised at Kelley's artwork. The map shows the four buildings and each one has little notes on the side telling her the shortcuts and places to avoid. Christen smiles and pulls her schedule out, making sure she got the times right. 

"7:00-7:25 Breakfast  
7:30-8:20 English, Mrs. Saurbrunn  
8:25-9:15 Geography, Mrs. O'Reilly  
9:20-10:10 Math, Mrs. Neaher  
10:15-11:05 Free  
11:10-12:00 Art, Mr. Scott  
12:00-1:00 Lunch  
1:05-1:55 Economics, Mr. Stevens  
2:00-2:50 Science, Mrs. Egan  
2:55-3:45 Athletics, Mr. Dicicco  
6:00-7:00 Dinner  
8:45-9:45 Study Hall  
10:00 Lights out" 

Christen reads the whole thing out loud to herself before checking the clock again. This time it reads 6:30. Christen quickly strips out of her clothes and slips into her uniform. She brushes her hair, choosing to keep the curl instead of straightening it. She applies a little makeup and quickly checks herself in the mirror. Christen decides she looks presentable and opens the door into the common room. She finds it empty again. She gives a quick knock on Kelley's door. She wants to thank Kelley for the wonderful map and she also wants to head to breakfast with her, she absolutely did not want to end up sitting by herself. When Kelley does not answer, Christen decides to just head down, too scared to ask Alex and too nervous to ask Tobin. When Christen strolls into the dining hall, it's not as crowded as she thought it would be. The breakfast being served is eggs and hashbrowns. Christen picks up a plate and places some food on. She glances up, searching for some familiar faces. She spots the group of girls she sat with first last night at the same table. 'It must be their spot,' Christen thinks as she heads over. She plops down between Julie and Ali. 

"Hey Christen," Julie says with a big smile. Christen smiles back, "Hey what's up?" 

"Nothing much, I'm a little tired, how about you?" 

"I'm good, a little nervous for my classes." 

"Oh yeah, let me see your schedule, we could have classes together." 

Christen hands Julie the slip of paper that she had in her pocket. Julie looks it over, really analyzing it. 

"We have English together and we have the same free!" 

Christen instantly relaxes, she knows someone in at least one of her classes. Ali hears Julie exclaim and grabs the schedule out of her hands to take a look. 

"Hey, we have geography, science, and the same free too!" 

This makes Christen even less stressed. Her schedule gets passed around the table and everyone takes a look. When everyone is done, Christen discovers that she only has three classes where she does not know anyone in. It's a huge stress reliever as everyone says they will save her a seat or offers to walk to class with her. It feels like Christen can breathe a little easier as she eats the rest of her breakfast. Once everyone is done and has cleared their food, they all head over to the school building together. On her way there, Christen notices Kelley, Tobin, and Alex bursting out of the dorm in a fit of laughter. As they continue to walk, they keep on laughing, Alex having to bend over she is laughing so hard. 'I wonder what's so funny' Christen thinks as she looks away and continues to follow everyone towards class. Once in the school building, everyone goes their own way. Christen and Julie head up the north wing on the third floor, where all the English classes are. They walk into classroom 307. There are a few students already in their seats. 

"There is an open seat next to me, set your stuff down before you go talk to Mrs. Saurbrunn." 

Christen nods and places her backpack in the chair to the left of Julie. She slowly walks up to the teacher sitting in her chair. She has her hair tied up in a tight bun and is reading a book. 

"Hi," Christen says. The teacher looks up at her. She sets her book down on her desk, "Christen, is it?" She nods, surprised that the teacher knows her name. "Hope told me to expect a new student, she said you were smart." Christen blushes, she did not know that Hope said that. "Have you read Romeo and Juliet?" Christen nods. "Well then you should be all caught up until we start our next book, you can have a seat." Christen nods and goes back to where Julie is sitting. The bell rings as the last few students trickle in the doors. Christen sees Alex stride in the door and sits in a seat towards the back. Christen shifts in the seat, not really knowing how to react. She can feel Alex's eye on the back of her head all class, making Christen uncomfortable. Thank god the fifty minutes go by pretty quickly. As soon as the bell rings, Christen jumps up, wanting to get out of the class as soon as possible. Julie packs up relatively quickly and follows Christen out. The two stand in the hallway and chat, waiting for Ali because she said she would come meet Christen and walk her to class. She sees Ali coming up behind Julie and smiles and waves in her direction. Julie leaves, having to head to her, class, as Ali and Christen head in the direction of their geography class. They head towards the east wing of the school building and eventually walk into class 112. Kelley also has this class and as soon as she sees Christen walk in, she jumps up waving her over, "Chris! Over here!." She points to the seat on her left and Christen throws her stuff down. She notices that Ali places her stuff down on the right of Kelley and they start gossiping as Christen goes up to introduce herself to the teacher. The teacher is setting up the class but stops as she sees Christen approach her. 

"Hi, you must be our new student." She teacher smiles brightly. She has long auburn hair that flows past her shoulders. Her shirt fits her nicely and Christen can't help but notice her bulging biceps. 

"Yes, my name is Christen Press." 

"Welcome, Christen. I'm Mrs. O'Reilly. I have heard great things about you." She dismisses Christen back to her seat. Christen is very surprised about what she said. 'She has heard good things about me? From who?' Christen sits back down, forming thousands of possibilities about how Mrs. O'Reilly has heard of her. Before she can finish thinking, Alex walks through the door, followed by Kling. Alex sits down in the spot behind Kelley, saying 'hi' to her as she goes by. Kling plops down in the chair behind Christen, saying 'hi' to Kelley as she walked by as well. But to Christen's surprise, Kling mumbles a 'hey' as she passes Christen. Christen quickly says 'hi' back and looks over at Kelley. Kelley must have heard the interaction because she gives her a thumbs up as she pulls out her notebook. The bell rings and Mrs. O'Reilly closes the door, signaling the beginning of class. Christen has always liked geography, so the class was very interesting. It helps that Mrs. O'Reilly is awesome. She cracks jokes all class and just makes the room a positive environment. The class goes by to quickly and before Christen knows it, the bell is ringing, signaling the end to class. Christen grabs her stuff and pulls out the map Kelley made her. She knows that Amy and Lauren are in her next class, but she is not sure how to get there. She walks out of the classroom, and right into Alex. 

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry, didn't see ya there." 

Alex spins around and locks eyes with Christen. She flinches at the hard look Alex gives her, but she sees her eyes soften a little before she speaks. "It's okay Christen, I know you didn't see me," she looks down at her feet while saying this. Christen is surprised by her answer, fully expecting Alex to bite her head off. Alex must notice the surprise in Christen's eyes so she continues. "I think we started off on the wrong foot, I'm not very good with change." Christen nods, fully understanding how hard it must be for Alex to be saying this. 

"It's okay, really it's fine," Christen nods her head, trying to prove her point. "No, it's not, I remember how hard it was my first few days here-" 

"And I remember how hard it was when someone messed up my routine, I understand." 

Alex looks at Christen and pulls her in for a hug. Christen is caught off guard and it takes her a second to hug back. When Alex pulls back she has a big smile on her face. She shakes her head a little, 

"You're a good person, how did you end up here?" 

Christen smiles back and shrugs, remembering Tobin's words about keeping her secret. Christen guesses that Alex is not expecting an answer because she waves and walks away, leaving Christen standing in the hallway still in disbelief about what just went down. Realizing she will probably be late to her next class, Christen takes off in the other direction. Her next class is math, another one of her favorites. Christen was right about her being late because she strolls in about two minutes after the bell. Mrs. Neaher welcomes her as she walks in and points to an open seat. Amy and Lauren wave to her as she passes by, and Christen waves back. Her new seat is the one right behind Lauren, so she is not too far away from her friends. Christen already learned what is being taught in the class so she daydreams. For some reason, her mind keeps ending up thinking about Tobin. 'I hope I have a class with her.' The bell brings Christen back to the real world, out of her daydreams. 

"Hey, Christen what class do you have next?" Lauren spins around as she asks the question. 

"Actually I have a free, I'm meeting Julie and Ali in the dorm's common room." 

"Oh lucky, I have English next," Amy sighs as she throws her math stuff into her backpack. 

"I'll see you guys later!" Christen shouts as she walks out of the classroom. She heads back to the girl's dorm building. Once she gets there, she heads to the main common room. This is the whole dorm's common room. There are some ping pong tables, pool tables, and one air hockey table in the back. There are some couches placed around the room. Two of them are facing a large tv mounted on the wall. There is an Xbox connected to the tv and some games are on the table. Christen is surprised by how big it is. She saw some pictures online when she was looking the school up, but she did not expect all this. Ali and Kelley are sitting on one of the couches when Christen walks in. The smile and wave her over. They ask how her day has been and how her classes are. Christen tells them about her exchange with Alex and both the girls are happy to hear that they are getting along. 

"See! I told you Alex would warm up!" 

Kelley, of course, makes sure Christen knows that she 'told her so'. Christen just laughs at her childishness. A few minutes later, Ashlyn struts into the common room. 

"Hey, guys!" 

She walks over to everyone and gives Ali a small kiss before sitting down. They spend the free period talking, laughing, and playing some 2v2 ping pong. Christen thanks god that Kelley is her partner after seeing how competitive she gets. Her team ends up beating Ash and Ali and Kelley celebrates by jumping on the table and doing a victory dance. Ashlyn proceeds to throw her paddle at Kelley. Christen is laughing the whole time, really enjoying the company. After the game, it is time to start heading to class so the girls grab their things and head out. Ali and Ashlyn have their athletics class next, so they head over to the small outer building of the main building. Kelley has science so she points Christen in the direction of her art class before heading off. Christen slips into the class quietly. The teacher does not notice her as she slips into a chair in the back. The tables are long and fit two people per table. 'Oh no, who's gonna sit with me?' Christen does not have to worry for long because someone slides into the seat next to her. Christen looks up and her eyes lock with a pair of compelling brown ones. Tobin has a big, bright smile on her face. Christen has not really had time to observe Tobin before right then. Her smile is the definition of a 'million dollar smile'. Her hair is up in the ponytail and she has a few wisps of hair all over. Her jawline is practically as sharp as glass and Christen can't help but stare at her biceps. 'Is everyone her jacked?' Christen thinks to herself. 

"Hi Christen" 

"Hi Tobin" 

"I was hoping we would have a class together." Christen smile and for some reason she blushes at this, secretly knowing that she had done the same. Her stomach does flips and dips as Tobin continues to look at her. There was no way butterflies could do all that, she must have the whole zoo in her stomach. Thank god the teacher stands up and starts talking, pulling Tobin's eyes away. Christen didn't think she could look into them any longer. They are just so captivating, Christen didn't know how to describe it. 

"Alright kids, you have the period to do art. Do whatever you want, paint, draw, sculpt, just make art." 

That's all the teacher says before he sits down and continues working on his sculpting. Christen and Tobin make their way to the back of the class, where are the supplies are. Tobin picks out some stencils while Christen grabs some paper and crayons. The brown eyed girl starts tracing the designs on the stencil while Christen grabs a brown color and starts to draw. 

"Whatcha making?" Tobin leans towards Christen, peering at the paper. 

"My puppy, I miss her." 

"Are all members of the Press family cute?" 

Christen blushes at Tobin's comment. She tries to hide it from the other girl, but she can tell from Tobin's smirk that she saw. The girls continue giggling and laughing, telling the other what to draw and tried to guess what they created. 

"What is that?" Christen has a confused look on her face. She eyebrows knit together, really trying to figure out what Tobin drew. 

"It's you, silly," Tobin pretends to take offense that Christen did not realize, but she starts to laugh, Tobin's shocked face is replaced with a smile, she could listen to that laugh all day. 

"It's ugly, Tobin" 

Tobin, taking defeat, just shrugs, "It can be Kelley then." The two continue this until the bell rings, signaling the end of the period. Both the girls frown, not wanting this class to be over. But suddenly Tobin perks up, "We have lunch next." Christen smiles and nods at the realization, more time with Tobin. The two pack up their things and head in the direction of the dining hall. The lunch for today was pizza. "Pizza Fridays!" Tobin says with the biggest smile. Christen just laughs. She finds it amusing how excited Tobin gets over the simplest things. Once they're in line, the two girls grab some slices and head to the usual tables. Ashlyn, Ali, and Kling are sitting at one table and at the other table is Julie, Emily, and Morgan. Christen knows that Tobin will go and sit with Ashlyn and all those guys, but she wants to say 'hi' to Julie. Christen makes eye contact with the blonde and Julie instantly waves, excitement showing in her eyes. But Tobin makes the turn for the far table and Christen follows. Christen, not wanting to completely blow Julie off, smiles and waves back. Julie seems alright with that response because she starts back up talking with Emily. Christen is relieved. 'I will sit with her at dinner.' Tobin and Christen plop down, saying 'hey' to Ash, Ali, and Kling, who all say 'hi' back. Soon Kelley comes to sit down and bores everyone with her story about some class. About ten minutes into the story and Alex comes and sits down too. She does not give Christen a smile, but she does not glare either. "Improvements!" Christen thinks, hoping that she will slowly win Alex over. The girls eat and laugh, talking about their days. Everyone seems to be in the good mood. With the good weather and the week almost over, how could you not be happy? Before she knows it, Christen is standing up, following the rest of the girls to clear. 

"What do you have next?" Tobin looks over her shoulder so she can see Christen answer, "Economics with Mr. Stevens." 

"Ohh, yikes, that class stinks. Mr. Stevens is a total jackass."

"Great," Christen sighs, 'The day was going too well, I knew something would have to spoil it.' She thinks as she places her empty plate in the bin. 

"I think Alex has Econ next too, though," 

"Hm?" Alex looks back towards the two girls after hearing her name. 

"You have Econ next right?" 

"Yeah, don't remind me." 

"So does Christen!" 

Alex raises her eyebrows at Christen, wondering if the information is true or not. Christen just gives a quick head nod, hoping that will erase Alex's skepticism. 

"Right" Alex gives a slight nod back in Christen's direction before she turns back around. Tobin just gives a thumbs up before she as well turns back around. Once all the girls have cleared their things, they go their separate ways. Christen stays close to Alex, hoping to follow her to Econ. 

"You don't have to walk behind me, Christen." Christen's face becomes red as Alex turns around to face the girl. But to Christen's surprise, she has a playful smirk on her face. Christen decides not to respond, just picking up her pace so she matches Alex. They walk into the classroom together. Christen notices that the desks are long, seating two per table. She sees Alex go and sit in a seat towards the back. Christen assumes that Alex must sit with someone so she looks around for an empty chair. She meets Alex's eyes for a second, long enough for Alex to give her a questioning look. 

"Press, sit next to me." Alex has a smile on her face and Christen hopes it is genuine. She sets her stuff down in the chair next to Alex and looks around the room for the teacher. She does not see anyone in the front of the room, so she assumes they aren't here yet. Christen sits back down and not wanting to have an awkward silence between her and Alex, she decides to start a conversation. 

"So, is Econ a hard class?" 

"No, I actually enjoy it. I wanted a business major in college." 

"Really? That's cool. Where are you from" 

"Northern Cali" 

"Hey, I'm from Cali too!" Before the girls can continue anymore of their conversation, the bell rings. Both look at the door, waiting for the teacher to walk in. Christen is pleased with the convo she had with Alex. The more small talk they made, the more Alex seemed to like her, which is good. But of course, right as Christen starts to get into a good mood, it all comes crashing down. The teacher finally walked in and it was Jeremy Stevens, the jackass who gave her a hard time yesterday. His eyes instantly lock with Christen's and she gives her a cold stare. 

"Well class, it looks like we have a new student." Everyone's eyes turn to Christen. Her skin starts to tingle with the uncomfortable sensation of having so many people looking at her. It does not last for too long because Mr. Stevens starts speaking. , Christen quickly pulls out her notebook and begins to copying down notes, trying to keep up with his fast pace. Thankfully the bell rings right before Christen's hand snaps off. Her hand aches so much, it hurts to move her fingers. She sees Alex shaking out her hand too, so she must be in the same boat. 

"I'll see ya later Press," Alex grabs her things and starts to head out the door. 

"See ya!" Christen tries to put her things in her bag as fast as possible, wanting to get out of this classroom quickly. Right as she is about to leave, she feels a strong hand wrap around her upper arm. Christen looks back and sees Stevens glaring back down at her. He leans down and places his mouth right in front of her ear. 

"Hope isn't here to save you now Princess" The words send shivers up Christen's spine. She does not reply and just takes off down the hall. When she gets to her next class, science, she tries to take her mind of the chilling message she just received. Luckily, Morgan, Emily, and Ali are all in her class. Talking with them is the distraction she needed. Christen is in a much better mood when she walks out of science. She pulls out her schedule, forgetting what she had next. She has athletics so she heads outside towards the gym. The gym is big, the stands could definitely hold the whole school. There is no one in the gym except for someone standing at half court with a clipboard. He looks kind of old, late fifty's or early sixties. Christen assumes that he is the teacher so she makes her way towards him. He looks up on her way over. He has a big smile on his. 

"Christen Press, right?" 

"Yes, that's me." 

"Perfect! I'm Mr. Dicicco, but everyone calls me Coach D or Mr. D, whatever you prefer." Christen nods, she likes him already. He scribbles something on a piece of paper and hands it to her. "Here is your locker number and combination. Your school gym clothes should be in there as well as a pair of sneaker. Feel free to bring your own sneakers if you have them." Christen nods again, taking the paper from his hand. "Now, go change, you have five minutes. Don't be late. Locker rooms are over there." He points towards the far left corner of the gym. Christen hurries over. She walks in and searches the rows for her locker. She finally finds it, quickly trying the lock combination. She hears the satisfying 'click' and the lock opens. Coach D was right, she finds a pair of blue shorts and a white shirt folded in the locker. She looks at the bottom of the locker and sees the sneaker. They look new. When Christen picks them up and checks the tag, she realizes that they are her size. "Awesome." Christen quickly strips out of her school clothes and into her gym clothes. The locker rooms start to quiet down and Christen knows that the girls are starting to leave. Rushing now, she throws on her shoes, not bothering to tie them. Christen jumps up and runs around the corner. Except she doesn't keep moving, she crashing into something, more like someone actually. Christen feels her momentum taking her down and she panics, not wanting to fall down. But suddenly, strong muscular arms latch onto her shoulders, stopping her. Christen looks up and sees a pair of worried green eyes looking back. 

"Christen, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Christen gives Tobin a grateful smile. She doesn't even realize Tobin's hands are still on her shoulders until she takes them away. Christen's skin burns where she touched her and she aches for Tobin to keep holding her. Tobin smiles back at Christen with another one of her big smiles, "I didn't know you are in this class, that's awesome!" 

Christen does not get a chance to respond because Coach D shouts into the locker room, "Let's go ladies!" The two girls scurry out of the locker room, both thankful that other girls are heading out with them. The rest of the class in huddling in the center of the gym. Once everyone is there Coach D starts talking, "Alright everybody, today we're going to be playing a classic, dodgeball." There are some groans from the girls and some cheers from the boys. Coach D has everybody stand on the line and he separates the teams. Somehow Tobin and Christen end up on the same team.

"Hey pretty pressy, how'd I get stuck with you as my teammate." The smile on Tobin's face shows she is just joking. Christen smiles and decides to tease back. 

"I'm bummed, I was really looking forward to nailing you with a ball." 

"You could never hit me, I'm too good." 

"Well you also said that you are a good artist, and that didn't turn out to good for ya" Tobin pretends to be hurt, putting her hand on her chest for emphasis. "Christen Press I am a great artist and you know it." 

"No Tobin, I definitely don't know it." 

The two cannot continue their conversation because Coach D blows his whistle. Everyone runs towards half court, trying to grab as many balls as possible. Christen manages to grab one without getting hit. The game goes on for a little and eventually, it's just Tobin, Christen, and one other guy left on their side. The other team only has two people left. 

"Pretty pressy, on the count of three throw your ball at the kid on the left." Christen nods in understanding. She hears Tobin whisper 'one', 'two', and 'three' under her breath and both girls throw their balls. The kid only has time to dodge one of the balls, the other hitting him square in the chest. 

"YES PRESS!" Tobin shouts and gives Christen a big high five. The both girls don't celebrate for long because the game is not won yet. The last kid still in on the other team throws a bullet, hitting the other member of the girls' team in the chest. Now it is only Tobin and Christen versus one boy on the other team. 

"What should we do?" Christen leans in and whispers to Tobin. Tobin just shrugs, "We kick some ass." As soon as Tobin says that, she throws a hard ball at the kid. But the opponent catches the flying ball. Tobin just stands still, in shock. The boy looks down at the ball, realizing he actually caught it, and jumps up. He turns towards the kids on the bleachers and starts to boast. He bangs his chest like King Kong, thinking he is the shit. Suddenly Christen realizes she still has a ball in her hands. She doesn't even think before she throws. The ball hits the boy in the right in the back. He whips around with a look of shock on his face. Mr. D blows the whistle, signaling that Christen had won the game. "That's not fair!" The boy tries to complain but Christen doesn't listen. Tobin has run over to her and wrapped her arms around her. Tobin lifts her off her feet, spinning her in a circle, before placing her back on the ground. 

"Pretty pressy that was absolutely amazing!" Tobin keeps Christen in her arms for a second longer than she should have. The rest of the team comes over, giving Christen high fives and fist pumps. Coach D tells everyone to head back to the locker rooms because the class is over. Tobin falls into step next to Christen. They head into the locker room together. When Christen reaches her locker, she realizes that Tobin's is close to hers, in the same row. 

"Would you look at that," Tobin says once she notices the lockers. Tobin starts to change. She takes off her shirt and Christen almost chokes. Her abs look rock hard, six distinctive marks cut through her stomach. 'Holy shit' is all Christen thinks. She watches her stomach contract as she bends down to pick up her shirt. Christen is pulled back to reality when Tobin finally pulls her shirt down. She instantly looks up and sees that Tobin definitely caught her staring. Christen blushes, totally embarrassed, but Tobin just smirks. Christen finishes changing quickly. The two walk out of the gym together. 

"Hey I have to go meet with a teacher, I'll see you at dinner?"

"Yeah see ya then." Christen waves as Tobin runs off towards the school building. Christen heads back to her dorm room. When she finally gets there, she instantly goes to her room and lays down. She sighs, "What a day."


End file.
